(photo from Google)This is a Cooper's Hawk. No, it isn't Cooper's hawk, it is called a Cooper's Hawk. The first time I saw one it was in our hedge trying to eat something. This was a number of years ago. Whatever dog we had at the time got too close and flushed it out. It took a number of sightings and a lot of time for me to positively identify it as a Cooper's Hawk and not a Sharp-shined Hawk.
Since then I have seen one or more around the house every year. I do not know if they migrate out in the winter or not. There are always a few Red-tailed Hawks around in the winter and a few smaller ones. The trouble with hawk identification is that so often you (or I, in this case) see them only in silhouette against the sun and not so the markings are readily visible.
From below, all you see anyway is a streaky breast that could belong to any number of hawks. We also have a few Kestrels around but I know they leave and I saw the first one a couple of weeks ago.
But this morning, standing at the sink I saw a bird moving in the yard in back of us and as he approached he landed on our wire and paused. And I saw that it was one of my lovely little Cooper's Hawks. I grabbed my binoculars but just then it started to rain hard again and he took off. He'll be back. We have an overgrowth of squirrels, and while that's a big animal for a Cooper's to tackle maybe it will lure some Red-tails into the area.
I like hawks. Can you tell? I am one of those horrible people who do not mind when a hawk snatches a bird at a feeder. They have to eat, too.
Where I stay in Des Moines, with Susie, they have owls in the huge oaks that surround the backs of the houses. I love waking in the night and hearing the owls talking back and forth. I have not heard one here for years. I miss owls.
Welcome back, Cooper's Hawk, and good hunting.
